***On Saturday, April 28, 2012, a woman was injured and hospitalized after the horse pulling the caleche she was riding spooked and ran through the streets of Old Montreal with her in the carriage and no driver. As prey animals, horses spook easily, which makes their presence on city streets dangerous for both the animals and humans.

It was proposed in the 80s that the caleches drivers wishing to obtain a permit were to be subject to theory and practice evaluation organized and led by a competent body, but nothing has changed. After almost 30 years we are still waiting for improvements which will never come. Horse-drawn carriage owners and drivers often do not comply with the regulations and inspectors fail to have them enforced.

It is time to stop being patient and to finally get the horses off the streets where they never belonged in the first place.

Elizabeth Forel, fellow campaigner in NYC, states "Horses have always been the innocent victims – whether taken to war without a choice and worked to death; or used in rodeos, horse racing or New York City’s inhumane horse-drawn carriage industry."

Toronto, Beijing, London, Reno Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Palm Beach and many other cities have eliminated the carriage trade in urban areas and it is being contested in many places around the world.

This trade is inherently inhumane and dangerous. The time has come to put a ban on the use of the horse-drawn carriages in Montréal.

Horses work in excessive heat, up to 30 deg. Celsius (humidity not included)

Vehicle congestion, particularly in Old Montreal, is conducive to respiratory illnesses in horses. 18th century carriages do not belong in a 21st century congested city where there accidents and emergencies of all kinds.

A “hard driver” is a good cashier - the harder you work a horse the more money you make.

Horses pull heavy loads for long hours due to regulations either not being respected by calèches drivers or enforced by the City of Montreal

There is no age limit for working calèches horses

Stables are sub-standard

There seem to be no retirement plans for the horses that could unfortunately be sent to the slaughter auction.

Toronto, Beijing, London, Reno Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Palm Beach and many other cities have eliminated the carriage trade and it is being contested in many places around the world.

THEREFORE, we the Petitioners, strongly urge that - the carriage trade be banned from the streets of Montreal.- there be a humane disposition of the licensed horse as follows:

A. The transfer of ownership or other disposition of a licensed horse shall be notified within FIVE days thereafter. Such notice shall include the date of disposition and the name and address of the buyer or other transferee and such other information as the commissioner may prescribe. B. A horse shall be sold or disposed of in a humane manner, which, for the purposes of this subchapter shall mean one of the following: 1. The owner shall sell or donate the horse to a private individual who signs an assurance that the horse will not be sold and shall be kept solely as a companion animal and not employed in another horse drawn commercial urban carriage business and will be cared for humanely for the remainder of the horse's natural life; or 2. The owner shall sell or donate the horse to a duly incorporated animal sanctuary or duly incorporated animal protection organization whose president or executive director signs an assurance that the horse will not be sold and shall be kept solely as a companion animal and not employed in another horse-drawn carriage business, will be cared for humanely for the remainder of the horse's natural life. 3. Records indicating the name, address and telephone number of the private individual, duly incorporated animal sanctuary or duly incorpo rated animal protection organization to whom the horse was sold ordonated together with the assurance specified above shall be provided by the owner within five days after such sale or donation. A Copy of such record shall also be maintained at the stable.